Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2006-07: Alex Petrovic played for the Maple Leaf Athletic Club and was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft.

2007-08: Petrovic made his AHL debut in limited action with the Rebels. He scored 1 goal with 2 PIM in 10 games with Red Deer.

2008-09: Petrovic stepped into a full-time role in his WHL rookie season with Red Deer. He scored 1 goals with 12 assists and was -4 with 70 PIM in 66 games for the Rebels, who finished last in the WHL’s Central division. Petrovic won a gold medal with Canada’s entry at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 Tournament.

2009-10: Petrovic’s had a season of fits and starts in his second year with Red Deer. Played some of his best hockey and added an offensive dimension to his game after recovering from an early season ankle injury but did not seem to be as dominant towards the end of the season. Petrovic, in 57 games for the Rebels, scored 8 goals with 19 assists and was +3 with 87 PIM as Red Deer earned a playoff spot. Petrovic had no points and was -4 in the Rebels’ four-game series with Saskatoon. He played for Team Cherry at the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game, picking up an assist in the 4-2 Team Cherry win.

2010-11: Petrovic put up his best offensive numbers while also leading Red Deer in penalty minutes in his third WHL season. Petrovic’s 50 assists were third-most on the Central Division-champ Rebels and he also scored 7 goals and was +27 in 69 regular season games. He had 6 assists and was +2 with 23 PMs in nine playoff games as Red Deer swept the Edmonton Oil Kings before falling to Medicine Hat in a five-game, second round series. Petrovic signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Florida in April 2011.

2011-12: Petrovic made his pro hockey debut late in the year following his fourth WHL season with the Red Deer Rebels; stepping right into the lineup for Florida affiliate San Antonio. After finishing minus-one with no points or penalties in five regular season games for San Antonio, he led all Rampage defensemen in scoring in the playoffs with 2 goals and 4 assists in nine games. Both of his goals came on the power play. Petrovic was minus-six with 14 penalty minutes as San Antonio reached the second round. He scored 12 goals with 36 assists and was minus-10 with 141 penalty minutes in 68 games for the Rebels and was awarded the WHL’s Bill Hunter trophy as the league’s top defenseman. Red Deer missed the WHL playoffs; finishing fifth in the Central Division.

2012-13: Petrovic made his NHL debut in an April 18th game against the Rangers and played in six games for Florida after spending his second pro season with Panthers AHL affiliate San Antonio. He had no points and was -8 with 25 penalty minutes; averaging 18:46 minutes of ice time with Florida. In 55 AHL games with the Rampage he scored 4 goals with 13 assists and was +8 with 102 penalty minutes. San Antonio missed the AHL playoffs after finishing last in the South Division.

2013-14: Petrovic was slowed by concussion issues and inconsistency in the first half of his second professional season but showed progress in the second half with Panthers AHL affiliate San Antonio. Petrovic played in five NHL games with the Panthers after being called up in December 2013 and played in two games with Florida in March. In seven NHL games he had his first NHL point, an assist, and was +3 with 8 penalty minutes, averaging 12 minutes of ice time. Petrovic played 43 AHL games with San Antonio, scoring 2 goals with 11 assists, and was +3 with 79 penalty minutes. The Rampage missed the AHL playoffs, finishing last in the West Division.

Talent Analysis

Petrovic is a gifted defenseman and an authoritative force in his own zone. He moves the puck well but it is in the physical game where he excels. He punishes opponents in the corners and intimidates attacking forwards. He has added weight and muscle to his already large frame and can get every ounce of his strength into his impressive slap shot. Petrovic skates well for his size, showing good maneuverability in all directions. Concussion issues in his second pro season slowed him but he appears back on track and on the verge of cracking the Panthers roster on a regular basis.

Future

Petrovic attended training camp with the Panthers before being assigned to AHL affiliate San Antonio to start the 2014-15 season. Now in the third year of his original entry level contract, he was recalled by Florida in January 2015 and is seeing steady ice time in a lower pairing role. He does not have some of the offensive instincts and high level skills of some of the other young defensemen with the Panthers but his size and willingness to take care of things in his own end should compliment those players. Petrovic projects as a valuable two-way defender and a core player on the Florida blue line.

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